Is everyone around you raving about the benefits of a high-protein diet? Have your socials been filled with people advocating for increasing protein intake for women? You’re not alone – many of us have been seeing an increased interest in increasing protein intake for women. But how can you easily incorporate more protein into your day-to-day if you’re not ready to spend hours cooking meats, beans, or tofu?
Protein powders can offer a convenient and accessible way to increase protein intake. If you’re curious about protein supplements for women, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll cover all the basics of protein powders, including how to use them, why to use them and how to choose a protein powder for your goals.
Let’s get into it.
Why Should Women Use Protein Powder?
Many associate protein powders with the big, muscly guys in the gym who eat five eggs for breakfast. Protein powders have been a common athletic supplement for years, but we’re still learning about their benefits. What can protein powders offer women?
Let’s start with the basics. Protein is an essential macronutrient. It plays many important roles in our bodies, including:
- Makes up enzymes, which are the active proteins of the cell and carry out many functions within them.
- Makes up our structural tissues, such as muscle, bone, hails, and hair.
- Helps our immune systems function by providing building blocks that help immune cells deal with pathogen attacks.
- Assists in muscle contractions and movement.
- It helps us transport nutrients and other molecules around the body.
- Provides building blocks for the synthesis of hormones and essential signalling compounds in the body.
- Provides us with energy.
- Helps us keep feelings of hunger at bay, which can be beneficial when you’re trying to lose weight.
Curious to find out more about protein’s role in the body? Check out our post on what the body needs protein for.
The multitude of varied roles of this macronutrient helps us grasp its importance. Protein for women supports all these processes, helping us feel good, stay active and even support our beauty.
Types of Protein Powder For Women
We’ve established that protein powders can help us get more protein in. Next, we need to clarify what types of protein powder for women are available on the market. You’ll find that protein powders for women and men are pretty much the same in their ingredients, so there’s no need to search for a women-specific protein powder.
Protein powder supplements can be divided into groups based on what type of raw material they are made from and their protein content.
Let’s start with the raw materials. Here we get two main distinctions: plant-based protein powders, and those that contain animal products.
Plant-based or vegan protein powders are typically made from legumes but can also be made from other plants. Soy protein powders are a very popular option, as soy is one of the rare legumes that contains all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source. Other protein powders use peas, hemp, or brown rice as a source of protein.
Vegan protein powders may contain less protein per serving. Therefore, choosing a protein powder with the right amount of protein for you and a full spectrum of amino acids is essential.
Animal product-based protein powders are typically made from eggs or milk.
Egg protein powders are an excellent option for those who cannot tolerate milk well.
Milk naturally contains two types of protein: whey protein and casein. These proteins differ in their structure and in how our body absorbs them. Whey protein is quick-absorbed, while casein forms clumps in our stomach and is absorbed more slowly.
Therefore, there are two main types of milk-based protein powders: whey and casein protein powder.
Whey protein powder is made by filtering whey, a by-product of cheese making. It is a great option for women because it tends to be affordable, is high in essential amino acids, and is a complete protein. It’s typically what athletes and gym fans use to build muscle.
Casein protein powder is another option. It is digested slowly, so it is great for supplying the body with amino acids over a longer period. It is a complete protein and has a good amino acid profile. These protein powders can also be easy to add to hot dishes such as porridge or baked goods.
If you’re curious about casein, check out our casein blog post.
Alongside ingredients, protein powders can be divided into types according to their protein content per serving. Whey protein is a good example.
Once whey undergoes filtration and drying, we get what is called a whey protein concentrate. This type of protein powder is about 80% protein by weight, so a portion of 30 grams of whey protein concentrate powder will contain 24 grams of protein. The rest of the protein powder is naturally occurring fats and carbohydrates present in milk. This is typically the most accessible protein option in terms of cost.
The concentrate can be filtered further to get what is known as protein isolate. Protein isolates contain fewer carbs and fats. They are also about 90% protein by weight, meaning that a 30-gram portion of isolate provides 27 grams of protein. Due to isolates having fewer carbs, including lactose, they can be a better option for those who want to limit lactose intake.
You can also find vegan protein isolates. They, too, tend to have higher amounts of protein per serving.
Our post provide more details on the differences between isolates and concentrates.
Whey protein is sometimes broken down into amino acids for even quicker absorption. These protein powders, called whey protein hydrolysates, are used after workouts for recovery.
Learn more about protein hydrolysate in our post.
Some protein powders contain a mix of concentrate, hydrolysate, and isolate. Maxler 100% Golden Whey is a prime example, providing around 24 grams of protein per serving and a range of delicious flavors.
Benefits of Protein Powder For Women
How can protein powders benefit women? By increasing their protein intake, they can support their hormonal health, their hair and nails, and their body shape. However, many women are most interested in three benefits: muscle building, exercise recovery, and weight loss.
Muscle Building
If you’re trying to achieve a lean look, you would likely like to build muscle. Building muscle can also benefit you as you age, so increasing muscle mass is a good idea.
The body requires additional amino acids and a stimulus to build muscle. The stimulus comes from resistance training. Combining your resistance training and an increased protein intake can help you build muscle mass.
Recovery after Exercise
Recovery is essential if you’re highly active and train multiple times a week. Consuming a protein shake after a workout alongside some carbs can kickstart muscle repair and glycogen resynthesis. This can support recovery and ensure you’re in good enough shape to hit the gym again the next day.
Weight Loss
If you’re looking to drop some pounds, you can use women’s protein powder for weight loss. Increasing your protein intake helps keep you full by controlling appetite hormones. In addition, protein can help preserve muscle mass, so you’ll lose fat rather than muscle. Don’t forget to adjust your overall diet and activity levels for best results.
Learn more about safe and fast weight loss in this post.
Risks of Protein Powders
Protein powders are a generally safe and well-tolerated supplement. There are only a few things to watch out for if you’re thinking of using a protein powder.
The first thing to pay attention to is your dietary requirements and allergies. Not every whey protein may be suitable for people who have a milk allergy or who are sensitive to milk sugars like lactose.
Many people may be concerned that a high protein intake can damage the kidneys or the liver. Unless you have a pre-existing kidney or liver condition, increasing your protein intake should not be a problem.
If you ever doubt whether a protein powder suits you, don’t hesitate to consult your medical professional. They can help you understand if you need to look out for anything or if you may be allergic to a specific ingredient in a protein powder.
How to Choose a Protein Powder
Have you ever searched for a protein powder and felt overwhelmed by the large number of choices on offer? It can be daunting scrolling through pages and pages of protein supplements. Here, we’ve assembled some key considerations to remember when choosing a protein powder.
- Understand your protein requirements. It can be helpful to have a goal protein intake. If you need to increase your protein by a lot, a protein isolate powder can be beneficial, as it will have more protein per serving. If you’re looking for a longer-digesting protein, try Golden 7 Protein Blend, which includes seven protein types for short- and long-term protein feeding.
- Assess your preferences. You may be following a particular diet, or you may be vegan or vegetarian. These things can impact your choices of protein powder. Check ingredient lists carefully to ensure that you’re getting a protein you can have. This also applies to textures. Vegan proteins and whey have different textures, and some people may prefer one over the other. For those who aren’t fans of milky textures, Juicy Isolate makes a good protein for women. The heat-stable protein isolate makes the protein shake go down like a juice rather than a milkshake.
- Check the ingredients. Many protein shakes for women may contain additional ingredients marketed to balance hormones. Decide on whether you want to pay for those extra ingredients and if they even work. In many cases, you may be better off having protein powders containing protein, natural sweeteners, and a flavoring. If that’s more your jam, Maxler 100% Golden Whey Natural may be right up your street, as it is sweetened with natural stevia and contains only natural flavors. In addition, most Maxler protein powders contain an enzyme blend to support digestion.
- Trust quality. It’s a good idea to choose brands that are open about their quality standards or may have had their products third-party tested. All Maxler proteins are made in factories adhering to GMP and IFS standards, so you can get the highest-quality supplement possible.
- Find your flavor. To take protein powders, you should ideally enjoy their taste. Experiment with multiple brands to find a taste you like. Our customers rave about the delicious range of flavors of 100% Golden Whey. Our flavors are genuinely a point of pride for Maxler.
Hopefully, these considerations will make it easier for you to find a protein powder that suits your needs. Ultimately, the best protein powder for women suits your requirements and you enjoy taking.
Golden 7 Protein Blend
Juicy Isolate
How Much Protein to Eat per Day
Now that you know the importance of protein and how to choose a protein powder, an important question remains. What are the protein requirements for women?
Your protein requirements will depend on many factors. As a rule of thumb, you should get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your weight daily. This applies to those who are sedentary and is the very minimum you should consume.
Your protein requirements will be higher if you’re active or have a particular body composition goal. Protein requirements for active people or athletes can range between 1.4 grams and up to 3 grams per kilo of body weight. Therefore, for an exact amount of daily protein for women, it’s best to consult with a coach or a doctor who can take your activity levels into account.
To learn more about protein for women, check out this post.
The Bottom Line
Protein is a crucial nutrient for the body, helping support our muscles, bones, hair, and cellular chemistry. It’s essential for women to get enough high-quality protein in their diets. Protein powders offer a great way to do so – they can be a convenient way to increase protein intake. You should be sure to choose a protein powder that can fit your lifestyle, goals, and preferences. Don’t be afraid to experiment with protein powders until you find one you like.
Remember that nourishing your body and staying active can help you achieve the goals you set out, no matter what they are.
